Speech
Kiwipex exhibition Christchurch Convention Centre
Ladies and Gentlemen, I greet you and in the languages of the realm of New Zealand, Maori, Cook Islands, Nuie and Tokelau - Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Taloha Ni.
In particular may I greet you the Kiwipex 2006 Chair, David Smitham, you the representatives from New Zealand Post, Southern Colour Print and the New Zealand Stamp Dealers Association; Collectors, Judges, Exhibitors, Ladies and Gentlemen.
Thank you for inviting me to the Kiwipex exhibition and to officially open this event. May I extend a particular welcome to our guests from overseas. Some of you have travelled a very long way and I hope you enjoy your stay in our beautiful country.
As you are no doubt aware Kiwipex commemorates the 100th anniversary of the International Industrial Exhibition which was held in Christchurch and was officially opened on 100 years ago in 1906.
The 1906 exhibition was way of promoting New Zealand products, and attracting investment and tourism. It was also a showcase of New Zealand's achievement and symbol of an emerging national identity as 'God's Own Country".
It was also the first time that New Zealand had issued an exhibition stamp - and not just any stamp, but one which has become a rare collectors' item indeed. Apparently the first run of the one-penny stamp, printed in a 'claret' colour, was deemed to dark. It was withdrawn and reprinted in vermillion. But somehow, 60 of the claret-coloured stamps were inadvertently sold at the Exhibition post office.
Wouldn't it be nice to stumble across one of the claret-coloured variety at some point.
Ladies and gentlemen, stamps are an important record of a country's cultural and social history.
New Zealand's first stamps were issued in 1855, and featured Queen Victoria in the robes she wore at her coronation. Our first New Zealand-designed stamp was issued in 1873, again featuring Queen Victoria.
Since that time New Zealand stamps have achieved a number of firsts including being the first in the world to carry advertising on the reverse in 1893. A novel idea, but sadly it didn't catch on because people grew concerned that licking the ink was unhealthy.
We were also among the first countries to features images of our landscapes, birds and animals on our stamps. The popular Health stamp series started in 1929 and every year since then has been providing funding towards the running of what is a New Zealand institution, Health Camps for children.
As our nation develops, so do our stamps. They reflect the changes in our society and events that have had an impact on our lives.
We have seen stamps commemorating war and peace, the first trans-Tasman flight, the Commonwealth Games, the first printing of the Bible in Maori, the paintings of Frances Hodgkins and many, many more.
This year, there will be stamps featuring our Summer festivals, the 50th anniversary of the New Zealand Antarctic Programme, the New Zealand Gold Rush and a series on renewable energy.
This mirroring of national values no doubt contributes to our fascination with stamps and their appeal to collectors and enthusiasts. The fact that Kiwipex has attracted more than 150 exhibitors and more than 30 international stamp dealers is testament to that enduring attraction.
It is remarkable that the placement of a small stamp can not only send our letters almost anywhere in the world, but also carry a symbol of our national identity and pride. I am no technophobe, but this is something that simply cannot be conveyed through an email.
I thank you ladies and gentlemen for inviting me here today and congratulate the organisers of Kiwipex on this wonderful event. It gives me great pleasure to now commence the formalities to declare Kiwipex 2006 open.
No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, kia ora koutou katoa